In the End
by That Buggy Girl
Summary: DISCONTINUED - Hiei is a 17 year old orphan bounced from foster home to foster home. Kurama is an up-and-coming young actor with too much time on his hands. When Kurama volunteers at the orphanage, the two meet and sparks fly... AU, warnings inside
1. Prologue

And now for something completely different: A full summary at the beginning of a story.

Title: _In the End  
_**Genre: **Most likely general with a hint of romance (pairing: K/H -- That means shonen ai, people!!!!) and my usual dose of angst.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (for language and innuendo)  
**Series: **YYH  
**Warnings: **Shonen ai (second warning!), AU (I will be exercising my creative liberties, thank you very much), possible OOCness.  
**Summary:** Hiei is a 17 year old orphan bounced from foster home to foster home. Kurama is an up-and-coming young actor with too much time on his hands. Bored with the superficiality of the professional world, Kurama seeks entertainment in the form of the children at the orphanage (can we say "community service?") and unintentionally meets up with a very hostile Hiei. Each is intrigued by the other and a tentative friendship is formed as the two grow off each other's distinct and separate characteristics. Lies, distrust and assumptions can strain things, but there's a valuable lesson to be learned:

In the end, only kindness matters.

Now then; on to the actual story. I hope I can pull this off and I hope it's original. I haven't run across anything with a plot quite like this in my quest for a decent read.

**

* * *

Prologue

* * *

**

[October]

It was late in the evening.

I was in the kitchen, making tea, preparing to go relax before bed. Well, relax as much as I could, given my current state of mind.

Three days. Three days it had been.

I stared at the empty chair at my small table, green gaze burning into it. The apartment felt empty and desolate. It even seemed too quiet, even though he had hardly ever said a word. I suppose it was his mere presence that made feel not quite so isolated. We didn't need to talk; it was just knowing he was there that was comforting.

And he was gone.

I wasn't expecting him to ever come back. Something in the back of my mind had been whispering to me for the last three days "_this is all your fault any way."_ He'd left in the middle of the night without any explanation or warning, but I knew it had something to do with me. I'd gone to wake him up the next morning and he was just…gone. There was no trace of him anywhere. Like he had never existed; never been a part of my life.

He'd been such an odd part of my life. Our pathetic excuse for friendship had been rough from the get-go. He'd made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with me, but I had pushed too hard and it had resulted in disaster because now no one could find him.

And I assumed he wanted it that way.

So lost in my train of thought was I, when the door slammed open, I nearly had a heart attack. The mug slid from my hands and crashed to the floor and I nearly dropped the tea kettle as well. I jumped a second time when the chunks of ceramic bounced around my feet, but I paid them no heed.

I couldn't stop staring at him.

His angry gaze burned into mine, ruby red eyes aflame with rage. "What?" He spat, glaring contemptuously at me.

"I…I didn't think…" My voice cracked as I tried to find the words to respond.

"Didn't think what? That I'd come back?" He snorted, turning up his nose, "You seem surprised to see me. Were you _that_ glad I left?" One of his hands rose, running through his hair and I had to tear my eyes away.

"Why would you think that?" I tried to keep my voice steady, calm. "I've been worried sick about you." My fingers twitched; I wanted to rush over and gather him into my arms, so relieved was I. Softly, carefully now…I moved slightly, trying not to frighten him. He wasn't one for physical contact, but I needed to hug him, to make sure he was really there.

Surprisingly, he wordlessly allowed the embrace, remaining stiff and tense as I hugged him. I could feel his breath in my ear; warm, rapid…He was nervous.

Imagine that.

Nervous.

I could have laughed.

"I'm tired." He said bluntly, his body tensing further at the prolonged physical contact.

This was my cue to let go; I had overstepped my boundaries. Hastily, I released him, stepping back. A slight blush painted itself across my cheeks; I could feel my face warming as he looked up at me wearily, crimson eyes full of question. Question, I'm sure, at the peculiar expression on my face.

I simply smiled, offering him the most innocent, unassuming expression I could muster. "Go on to bed then. We'll talk in the morning."

There was no response to that, which was to be expected. I watched the small retreating figure as he disappeared down the hall into the shadows. A slow smile spread across my face as he glanced furtively over his shoulder as if reassuring himself that I was still there.

Only after he was fully out of view did I stoop to clean up the broken coffee mug and fetch a new one. I poured my water, made my tea, then stretched out on my bed, the smile never leaving my face as the familiar sounds of his thumping around in his small room drifted through the walls.

My eyes slid shut and I grinned as I set the mug on my nightstand and switched off the light.

Yes, it was good to have him back.

* * *

Note: As this is the prologue and not the actual story, only this part will be written in first person perspective. The actual chapters will be written in third person limited.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

[March]

The weather outside was wet and rainy, but that didn't seem to bother the small figure hunched up on the railing. He was leaned back against a column running up to the porch roof, eyes shut; he seemed to be lost deep in thought. A book was open in his hands, but he hadn't so much as glanced at it since he took a seat on his perch.

One eye snapped open at the sound of footsteps on the stairs leading up the porch and a cool gaze assessed the graceful movements of a slender redhead. The other eye opened as well as the boy began to process and store the information he took in as the person mounted the steps.

Long, red hair; tall, but not too much so; poor fashion sense -who matches hideous pink and green anyway?- hidden under an unzipped jacket; pale, unblemished skin; face hidden under a mass of bangs. This person looked frail and breakable; as if they were underfed, and the boy on the railing wasn't sure at first glance if it was a man or a woman.

"Excuse me."

His thoughts were cut short when the individual noticed him and he buried his nose in the book, filing away the most recently gathered bits of information. _Polite; soft spoken; most definitely a man._

"Excuse me?" The gentle voice prodded again.

Scowling, he looked up, gaze meeting twin emeralds which shone from beneath that mass of flaming hair. Green eyes were fixed on him intently as their owner waited for a reply. The man's stare was unwavering as if he were unconcerned with the death glare being shot in his direction. "What?" The boy spat out the question as if it were acid on his tongue.

"Can you tell me if Joumu-san is in?" Came the redhead's reply. He smiled politely at the boy perched on the railing, easily ignoring his frosty glare and dismissing it as nothing but infantile hostility. The youth looked as if he couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen; he was small and wiry, hidden away in black clothing, his face childish and his eyes surprisingly innocent, if one could look past the hardened front he presented. His black hair was wild and untamed, sticking up all over the place; a white headband kept it out of his face.

"What's it to you?" The boy snarled, continuing to stare at the unruffled young man. He decided then and there that he didn't like the stranger's condescending tone; it had sounded as if the man was speaking to a child. Him; a child. Ha! One more year and he'd be out of that hell-hole forever.

"I am here to see him about offering my services." The smile remained, unwavering, as the man offered what he deemed a satisfactory explanation, "Is he here? Or should I come back some other time?"

"Hell if I know." Came a surly retort.

Green eyes shut momentarily, then opened again and focused on the unfriendly young man. He wasn't too surprised that the boy was so bad-tempered; many kids who were not placed in homes, sadly, wound up rather angry and spiteful towards the world. It was natural that this boy was distrusting and wary; he must have seen wave upon wave of prospective parents parade through the doors and pass him by. "I can see you are going to be of very little help. I'll just let myself in then." That even voice sounded slightly weary and one hand ran through the red hair, pushing it from the emerald eyes and freeing his view, "Sorry to have bothered you."

A snort was the only response as the boy turned his narrowed eyes back down to the book in his hands. Forced or false apologies were not to be tolerated by him; he had been given too many of them in his seventeen years of existence. Feigning indifference, he watched as the young man made his way across the porch and to the front door. He was probably married to some equally young woman and they were looking to adopt a child. A baby, most likely, and if not a small child. No one -and certainly not some one who looked to be so young- would ever want a ill-natured teenager. He had come to that conclusion years ago.

He shifted restlessly.

If that man really was going to look over all the children at the orphanage, they would probably force him inside to make an appearance. They would demand he be present, even though every one knew he would never get adopted. It was too late in the game for that and, if this young man had any sense at all, he would never even consider it. But, due to excessive grief the boy gave the orphanage staff, he was forced to sit through the screening of hopeful soon-to-be-parents. He supposed it was their way of getting revenge for all the trouble he gave them and he hated them even more for it.

Sure enough, one of the smaller kids came running out onto the porch moments later. She was one of the only children brave enough to approach the boy; she gave off the air that nothing scared her. "You need to come in now." She said, her childish voice firm, "They want us all there while the pretty guy looks around."

She received a grunt in response.

"You _have _to come in." Small hands perched on undeveloped hips and pursed lips stuck out in a pout, "_They _want you to." Stressing the word _they_, it was almost as if she was trying to sound menacing, as if he would be frightened and come in. "You know the rules."

"I'm not going in." He muttered offhandedly, his gaze still fixed on the book. He hadn't read a single word on the page since he'd first looked at it, but hiding behind the guise of reading was easier than having to deal with people. Especially the idiots who seemed to think they knew what was "best" for him.

"You'll get in trouble."

Threatening him with punishment for insubordination. He rolled his eyes. This was a tactic that would have worked well if he was about ten years younger and a complete moron. There was nothing the social workers and staff could do to him that hadn't been done before, so there was no point in bullying him with retributions. Her statement was easily ignored.

Sighing, the little girl ran back into the house. Even she at age eight was smart enough to know when to give up.

He sighed as well, although out of irritation rather than frustration, and closed the book. Setting it down on the railing, he leaned back against the column once more, drawing his knees up to his chest. This whole situation would only get worse before it got better.

* * *

Inside the house, the redhead was shaking hands with Joumu Hiro, the director of the orphanage. Joumu was an older man with graying hair and warm blue eyes. He had a grandfatherly appearance and very few of the people who came for adoptions saw the angry disciplinarian that made himself present when the children were misbehaving. A smile swept across his face as one hand encompassed the redhead's. "Welcome. I'm Joumu. Joumu Hiro, director of the orphanage."

"Yes, Joumu-san." The younger man smiled politely, shaking the man's hand, "I believe we spoke on the phone. My name is Minamino Shuichi."

The gears turned in Joumu's head as he tried to place the name with a phone call. It took a moment, then he remembered. This was the young actor who had a lot of promise in his field. He had been getting much publicity for the past year or so and here he was, offering to spend time with the children? It made little sense in the elderly man's mind. "Ah yes. You called several days ago." One bushy gray eyebrow rose, "Is this some sort of publicity stunt, young man? Trying to curry favor with the media?"

Emerald eyes widened. "Oh, no sir. Never." Came the firm yet polite reply, "I was just hoping to be of some good to these unfortunate children." A soft smile graced the face of the redhead, "I do enjoy working with children. They can be so clever."

"Too clever." Joumu agreed. "I suppose I can find a way for you to help. There are many children here and all of them do not get enough attention. Undoubtedly you saw the delinquent on the porch. He is one of our worst. Starved for attention, the poor boy, but the second you give it to him…" The elderly man shook his head sorrowfully, then turned towards the door. "Follow me, please."

Shuichi obediently trailed behind him, wondering about the boy on the porch. How long had he been there? What was his situation? And why had he stared at him with such anger? "The little boy on the porch…" He began, but the other man cut him off.

"Little boy?" He snorted indelicately, "That is no little boy. Don't let him fool you…He's been here his whole life. Seventeen years."

"Seventeen?" This piqued the young man's curiosity, "There's no way that child can be seventeen. He doesn't look any older than twelve."

"I am aware of that." Came the dry response, "And he uses it to his advantage. But that boy is a troublemaker, headed down the wrong path. He was hopeless when he was a child and he's hopeless now. Do _not_ waste your time with him."

Shuichi nodded, a thoughtful expression lighting his face. How could one "waste" one's time when it was for a worthy cause? How could one be defined as "hopeless" when perhaps one was never given a reason to hope? This perplexed him.

Joumu led him down the hall to a large, spacious room. A dozen or so children of varying ages were milling around; some reading, some watching television, some doing homework. His gaze wandered around the shabby -yet orderly- room until three particular children caught his attention.

Two small boys were tormenting a little girl with brown hair shorn short and large glasses, holding a ratty stuffed cat just out of her reach and laughing as she made attempts to free the toy from their possession. The girl looked angry; as if she was mad at them more than upset. Each time she made a jump and stretched her fingers towards the synthetic fur, the boys would lift it higher, and her face would further twist into a grimace.

His emerald gaze swiveled over to Joumu. As the elderly man surveyed the scene, Shuichi could practically see the gears turning in his head. _No harm being done,_ -he could read the older man's expression perfectly- _and she must learn early on that the world is a cruel place. This is a fine lesson for her._

The red-head turned his attention back to the child and her tormentors. The little girl's steeled gaze seemed to be wavering and she suddenly burst into tears while still swiping for her toy.

A small frown crossed Shuichi's face. The girl was crying and Joumu seemed to have no intention of remedying the situation. This simply would not do.

He crossed the room, stopping behind the boys and removing the plush cat from the taller boy's hands before the punk even realized he was there. The boys turned and looked at him, slightly guilty, then scampered off before any sort of punishment could be doled out. Shuichi crouched down, one hand resting on the girl's hair, and smiled softly. "I believe this belongs to you."

She looked up, wiping away the remnants of her tears. When she noticed her treasured possession in his hand, her face lit up and she beamed at him, her grin full of gaps and giving her a jack-o-lantern appearance. "Gee, thanks mister!" She chirped, then skipped off towards a battered plastic kitchenette.

Shuichi smiled after her, satisfied that all had turned out well. Then he rose to his feet and sauntered back to his spot beside Joumu. "I can see you wanted to get an idea of how I handle such situations." He said innocently, "Was that satisfactory?"

The older man's mouth opened momentarily, then closed again. He stared at Shuichi, who beamed at him, then his gaze wandered back to the children. "As you can see, we are short staffed. Most of the interaction between the children and adults comes from volunteers such as yourself. Unfortunately, there aren't nearly enough volunteers. Most of the children don't get the one-on-one attention that they crave."

"I see."

"Your job will be to spend time with them…Be some one they can talk to, some one of whom they can ask questions. Most of these children have never had a positive role model in their entire lives."

"Yes sir." Shuichi nodded gravely, his green gaze once again sweeping across the young occupants of the room. "I will do my best."

"When can you begin?" Joumu queried.

"Now, if you need me." Came the good-natured response, "I have nothing better to do until rehearsal at five." Shuichi was eager to begin work with the children; to be around people who weren't superficial and false like those he was around on a daily basis. He wasn't sure how exactly to explain it; but children were so…real.

"You will, of course, have to fill out the required paperwork and get a tour of the facilities before you can begin, but we can take care of that in a matter of moments." The elderly man assured him.

"Of course." Came the reply, "Why don't we get that out of the way then."

"Right this way." Joumu led him towards a smaller office near the large main hallway, where he riffled through a filing cabinet for the appropriate forms. Shuichi waited patiently, glancing around the cramped quarters, not failing to notice the small dark figure trying to glide undetected into the building…

* * *

"I need to fill this out in entirety?"

"No…Only here, here, here…"

The teenager in the hallway stopped momentarily, peering into the small office where two adult males stood. Joumu was marking something on a paper and the red head was…eerily enough, looking right at him.

Startled by this for a moment, he stared back, gaze burning into intense green eyes. Those eyes smiled at him, grinning teasingly, their expression mirroring the curve of the young man's mouth. He stiffened, his glare intensifying. How dare that man mock him! Fury suddenly overwhelmed him like an angry wind battering his insides, threatening to tear him apart.

The red-head looked faintly amused at the sight of the livid young man in the hall. Shuichi wasn't sure quite why the boy was scowling at him, but it made him want to smile more. Something about the way the teen looked at him only furthered the need to make the boy angry; to tease him and watch his anger grow.

"We meet again." He quipped, offering a hand, his lips further curling upwards into a grin.

Red eyes flared angrily. "Why don't you just fu-"

"Watch your mouth!" Joumu cut him off, glaring sharply at the small, dark-haired teen. The elderly man spun around to fully face the offender, his bushy eyebrows knitting together as he leveled his gaze. "I will not tolerate-"

"I know; I know. _You will not tolerate such crude language and rude behavior._" The teen finished dully. His stare at the elderly man was one of indifference; as if he had no worries about any sort of consequences from his incredibly rebellious actions.

Joumu let out a ragged sigh, straightening his tie with one hand. "This," He looked up at Shuichi, "Is the result of a child who has spent too many years here and gotten far too little attention. This is the sort of thing we want you to help prevent. We _do not_ need any more children like Hiei. He has done nothing but cause trouble and give the workers and volunteers grief since he's been here."

So that is his name…Shuichi nodded, red hair bouncing around his shoulders. He turned to look once more at the boy in the hall, but Hiei had disappeared. _It appears that Joumu-san is making him out to be the bad guy here where it is clearly negligence on his part. If he truly were here since infancy, he should not be one of the aggressive, angry children who is taken from the only family they've known. Joumu-san is trying to explain away his own mistakes._

"Anyway, I need your signature here, then I can show you around." The director continued, a superficial smile plastering itself to his wrinkled face, "I'm sure many of the children will be happy to have a new playmate. Now sign here please."

Shuichi complied, scrawling his name across the page in tight cursive, the polite smile never leaving his face. His thoughts, however, were a million miles away from paperwork and small children.

I wonder if it's too late for that boy…

* * *

So, first chapter finished. Be honest; is it crap?


	3. Author's Note & Chapter 2 preview

To pink elephants: You gave me quite the rant about my not updating this story for a month. Would you like my "excuse" now?

I started writing this story some time last spring, but, obviously, didn't post it until August. Almost immediately after posting it, I shipped back off to college, where I began 6 courses and work study. My work study consists of working in a preschool classroom 3 days a week. Two of my classes are evening classes and the others are spread in the middle of the day. I'm taking 2 major education classes and an English class. This means A LOT of papers. I've been up to my eye-balls in school work (I am in the middle of both an exam and an English paper as I write this. I also have to catch up on a missed assignment that was due for an education class today). On top of that, I've been volunteering my life away for different Girl Scout events because Girl Scouting is incredibly important to me. Therefore, I'm always exhausted.

On top of that, I've been struggling with how to hide my sexuality from my close-minded and Catholic parents. At first, this was incredibly easy, as I was chasing after several boys. However, this summer I struck up a relationship with a (female) coworker. So, not only was I trying to hide my sexuality, I was trying to figure out how I could mention my spending time with her without sounding suspicious (she's 5 years older than me and we used to hate one another. Every one seems to know her preferences somehow. It seemed suspicious that we were suddenly the best of friends). Friday, I made the mistake of blurting out to my mother that I'm bisexual. This only added to all the other stress. Now I have my parents trying to cope (by telling me to seek professional help) and I'm still trying not to let them find out about my girlfriend because I know they'll blame her and say she "made" me queer.

So this is the story of my life. This is the reason my writing has been slow in coming. Maybe before you tear into some one for their actions, you should know the facts. My life is an emotional roller coaster right now and I don't need crap like this from some one who doesn't even have enough gall to leave an e-mail address with their review.

Is it an acceptable "excuse"?

Thank you to all those who've been patient with me (this includes people who are waiting for more of "Forever is Just a Word" as well).

Now then, here's a bit of a preview for the next chapter. The whole chapter will get posted when I get around to completing it.

* * *

It's been said many times that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer. This age old adage is one that Hiei not only believed but lived by as well.

Every one was his enemy.

Especially the cocky redhead that was currently inspecting one of the bedrooms.

Hiei watched carefully from his perch on the third floor landing as the young man peered around the large bedroom in which he himself (on the occasion that he felt the need) slept. Shuichi had insisted upon looking over every single room at the orphanage so he could "get a feel for the place." He had started with the rooms downstairs and was systematically working his way up, Hiei skulking along behind him and Joumu the entire duration of the impromptu tour. It didn't seem to matter to Shuichi that all the bedrooms were exactly alike -a fact which Joumu had pointed out early on- the redhead was emphatic in his seeing of every single nook and cranny.

So there sat Hiei, peering through the bars of the creaky wooden rail, watching his newest enemy survey the territory to which he belonged. His brain was working away, processing every movement of the man, storing any information that might be useful for later. It was imperative that he gain as much knowledge of the enemy as possible. He would make his move later to remove this new threat to his existence.

But for now, all he could do was wait and watch.

As he inspected one of the closets, Shuichi smiled to himself. He had long since realized there was a pair of suspicious -albeit curious- red eyes following his every movement. His back was to Hiei, but he could feel those eyes tracking him, watching, analyzing. Although he wasn't quite sure of the purpose for the teen's intense scrutiny, he was amused by the fact that some one who seemed so aloof and unconcerned with the world would take such care to remain hidden as he observed.

No, Shuichi had never been more amused in his life. If all his days at the orphanage would be like this, he was sure it would be more fun than he initially bargained for. How could it not be with that boy playing cat and mouse with him? He took this as a personal challenge.

And Shuichi was one who liked a challenge.

Hiei watched silently as the redhead slid the closet door shut and turned back to Joumu. "You have a very nice facility here." He heard the younger man remark politely, the smile still set in place on his feminine face, to which Joumu nodded proudly.

The tiniest wisp of a smile crossed the spy's face. That had been a lie -a bold faced lie- and Joumu had eaten it up. The stuffy old geezer couldn't tell a lie if it jumped up and bit him in the ass.

And Shuichi, it appeared, was very good at lying.

Hiei's brain filed that information under "crucial" where it could be easily accessed as needed.

The two men were moving towards the second floor stairs. Hiei padded lightly down the steps, careful to tread only where he knew they would not squeak. He could hear them talking, but their backs were to him and they weren't loud enough for him to discern what they were saying.

"You're an intelligent man, aren't you?" Joumu asked Shuichi as they alighted the stairs.

"I've been told as much." Came the humble response. Green eyes blinked softly as they took in the withered face of the elderly man.

"I've been getting numerous phone calls and notes about the progress of some of the children who are in school. The guidance counselor says they don't apply themselves. They skip classes, turn in half-finished class work, never complete any homework. Perhaps you can act as a sort of tutor for them."

"Perhaps." Shuichi's smile tightened for a moment. Normally, one would be more concerned about the educational prowess of the children in one's care and would not pull any old person off the street to help them with their studies. Joumu was cheap. He didn't give a damn about the well being of these children. _I wonder when he lost his passion for this job…_

Joumu looked at his watch, then glanced back up at the attractive redhead beside him. "It's three-thirty. Perhaps you can begin working with the children right now. Many of them, as you saw, do their homework upon their return from school."

"If that's what you wish I do." The smile relaxed and a sparkle danced through those emerald eyes. Shuichi was always compliant; always one to do exactly as was asked of him.

"Follow me."

* * *

As I said before, the completed chapter will be posted, well, upon completion. Please be patient with me. Sorting my life out and not losing my family is currently more important to me than a fanfic.


	4. Chapter 2

Okay, here is chapter two in completion. Again, I'm sorry for the delay and thanks to every one who was patient and offered me kind advice.

* * *

It's been said many times that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer. This age old adage is one that Hiei not only believed but lived by as well.

Every one was his enemy.

Especially the cocky redhead that was currently inspecting one of the bedrooms.

Hiei watched carefully from his perch on the third floor landing as the young man peered around the large bedroom in which he himself (on the occasion that he felt the need) slept. Shuichi had insisted upon looking over every single room at the orphanage so he could "get a feel for the place." He had started with the rooms downstairs and was systematically working his way up, Hiei skulking along behind him and Joumu the entire duration of the impromptu tour. It didn't seem to matter to Shuichi that all the bedrooms were exactly alike -a fact which Joumu had pointed out early on- the redhead was emphatic in his seeing of every single nook and cranny.

So there sat Hiei, peering through the bars of the creaky wooden rail, watching his newest enemy survey the territory to which he belonged. His brain was working away, processing every movement of the man, storing any information that might be useful for later. It was imperative that he gain as much knowledge of the enemy as possible. He would make his move later to remove this new threat to his existence.

But for now, all he could do was wait and watch.

As he inspected one of the closets, Shuichi smiled to himself. He had long since realized there was a pair of suspicious -albeit curious- red eyes following his every movement. His back was to Hiei, but he could feel those eyes tracking him, watching, analyzing. Although he wasn't quite sure of the purpose for the teen's intense scrutiny, he was amused by the fact that some one who seemed so aloof and unconcerned with the world would take such care to remain hidden as he observed.

No, Shuichi had never been more amused in his life. If all his days at the orphanage would be like this, he was sure it would be more fun than he initially bargained for. How could it not be with that boy playing cat and mouse with him? He took this as a personal challenge.

And Shuichi was one who liked a challenge.

Hiei watched silently as the redhead slid the closet door shut and turned back to Joumu. "You have a very nice facility here." He heard the younger man remark politely, the smile still set in place on his feminine face, to which Joumu nodded proudly.

The tiniest wisp of a smile crossed the spy's face. That had been a lie -a bold faced lie- and Joumu had eaten it up. The stuffy old geezer couldn't tell a lie if it jumped up and bit him in the ass.

And Shuichi, it appeared, was very good at lying.

Hiei's brain filed that information under "crucial" where it could be easily accessed as needed.

The two men were moving towards the second floor stairs. Hiei padded lightly down the steps, careful to tread only where he knew they would not squeak. He could hear them talking, but their backs were to him and they weren't loud enough for him to discern what they were saying.

"You're an intelligent man, aren't you?" Joumu asked Shuichi as they alighted the stairs.

"I've been told as much." Came the humble response. Green eyes blinked softly as they took in the withered face of the elderly man.

"I've been getting numerous phone calls and notes about the progress of some of the children who are in school. The guidance counselor says they don't apply themselves. They skip classes, turn in half-finished class work, never complete any homework. Perhaps you can act as a sort of tutor for them."

"Perhaps." Shuichi's smile tightened for a moment. Normally, one would be more concerned about the educational prowess of the children in one's care and would not pull any old person off the street to help them with their studies. Joumu was cheap. He didn't give a damn about the well being of these children. _I wonder when he lost his passion for this job…_

Joumu looked at his watch, then glanced back up at the attractive redhead beside him. "It's three-thirty. Perhaps you can begin working with the children right now. Many of them, as you saw, do their homework upon their return from school."

"If that's what you wish I do." The smile relaxed and a sparkle danced through those emerald eyes. Shuichi was always compliant; always one to do exactly as was asked of him.

"Follow me."

Joumu led him along to the airy room they had originally been in. There were children of varying ages sprawled out here and there at tables, on the floor, curled on the couch. All of them had some sort of work which they were busy with. The younger children were mostly clustered together, helping one another, but the older ones were spread out and territorial; taking up as much space with their books and notes as possible. Shuichi watched as a girl who appeared in her early teens glared suspiciously at another girl about her age. The second girl was glancing furtively at the notes of first, probably trying to get a correct answer.

The first girl would have none of that. She suddenly lashed out at the cheater, throwing her pen and slamming her book shut. "God; you're so stupid! Why do you always copy all my work?!" She growled.

"Perhaps," Joumu stated mildly, "You can begin with those two. This is a common occurrence between Hana and Nashi. Nashi is very suspicious of everything and Hana just wants to be her companion."

Shuichi nodded yet again, his green gaze held on the man's withered face, even though he could hear the girls arguing behind him. He was amazed that Joumu didn't seem to care that things were in disarray; didn't seem to care that none of the children seemed well adjusted.

Glancing once more at Joumu, the redhead sauntered across the room to where the two girls sat glaring at one another. He squatted down to be on their level, smiling amiably at the two and ignoring their vindictive glares. "Hello." He greeted them, "I'm Shuichi. What seems to be the trouble?"

Both girls turned their glares to the man peering down at them. The one who had accused the other of copying rolled her eyes; undoubtedly she had seen too many people come and go who pretended to care. The other one shied away slightly, nervously tucking a strand of her deep brown hair behind her ear. "What's it to you?" The first demanded.

He ignored her, turning to the jumpy girl. "I noticed you're working on biology homework. Perhaps you would like some help?"

Hana smiled shyly, giving an almost unperceivable nod.

"May I?" Shuichi gestured towards her text, indicating that he wanted to see what the homework questions were.

The girl gladly slid her book across the floor to him and pointed out the assignment, never uttering a word the entire time. He scanned the questions, then turned to look at her and offer her his services, smiling kindly at her as he spoke gently.

From across the room, a pair of ruby red eyes watched warily. Hiei was holed up in a corner, the same book in his hands as he stared over the top of the pages. The redhead was patiently explaining something to that little drip, Hana, who in turn was nodding slowly.

The boy's eyes rolled. _Waste of time._ Hana, in his mind, was a moron. She did everything slowly and always needed help with all her work. Joumu had tried to get him to help her at one time and he had scoffed at the idea. Imagine it. Him helping that little idiot. It would be a waste of valuable time.

But if the redhead wanted his brain to rot by trying to help her, that was his problem.

I might as well get some work done. For the first time, Hiei glanced down at the open book in his hands. Never really one for school work, Hiei was actually an intelligent boy. He got the same report from teachers and guidance counselors all the time - "Smart, but doesn't apply himself." But why should he? Why work hard for some unattainable, impractical dream? There would be no higher education for some one like him. No one wanted him, not even the schools for people with his intelligence.

Dull; dull; dull. When he looked back up half an hour later, having been utterly disgusted by the plot-less novel -who ever decided this was a "classic" anyway?- he noted that Shuichi had moved on and was talking to a grade-school age boy. This particular child -one who had been labeled "troubled" and "disruptive" early on- was paying rapt attention to the redhead, his gaze fastened on the man's face, admiration shining in glassy eyes.

Several of the other younger children sat in a semi-circle, listening attentively to whatever he was saying.

A few feet away, Hana was still gazing longingly after Shuichi, her pencil clutched tightly in her fist as she gazed wondrously upon him.

Now Hiei was beginning to get curious.

What was it about this man that he could acquire the respect and admiration of these children so quickly? The vast majority of them were not quick to trust; they had all suffered too many disappointments. Far too many. But Shuichi had gained their reverence and this was unusual in itself.

Hiei shifted uncomfortably as Shuichi glimpsed up and caught him glaring.

Smiled at him.

The routine life he had grudgingly accepted, it seemed, was about to be disrupted.

* * *

Shuichi glanced up through the windshield, peering at the traffic light. Still red. He sighed. Why did those things take so long to change? There wasn't even any one going in the other direction. If his bad luck at getting all the lights didn't change, he would be late for rehearsal and that would not sit well with the director. He had taken a risk accepting Shuichi as the lead and would not tolerate tardiness on the young man's behalf. The director was not a forgiving man.

Even with this knowledge, Shuichi's thoughts were far from being late for rehearsal. His mind had wandered accordingly, then settled back on the information -what little he had- about the teen-ager named Hiei. What was it Joumu-san had said? Ah yes; "starved for attention." But giving him the attention he craved had seemed to be a mistake, as the boy had lashed out rather cruelly. How to help some one like that? Was there no one who could save poor, misguided Hiei?

I will not let it end badly. I can show him -prove to him- that the world is a kind place. After all, in the end, only kindness matters. Shuichi's vocabulary did not include the word "failure." He _would_ help that boy. He _would_ learn what exactly made Hiei be Hiei. And he _would_ show him that the world was not truly as terrible a place as he seemed to think it was.

This decided, Shuichi eased the wheel to the left, pulling into the theater parking lot.

* * *

"That guy was so hot! I hope he comes back tomorrow."

"Yeah, me too."

"I love his red hair and his beautiful green eyes…"

Disgusted, Hiei pushed past a cluster of girls in the main hallway of the orphanage, trying to retreat to a safe place. Every where he went, it seemed, Shuichi had left his mark. The girls were all in love; the boys were all in awe of his intelligence and cleverness. He was young, he was talented and he seemed to generally care about the children. What was there to not love?

He was a fake. Hiei was sure of it. No one could be as kind as that man had been. No one could really care so much about Napoleon and long division and cellular mitosis. No one. That's all there was to it. The redhead was putting on a show, trying to get some good press for himself.

In short, Hiei didn't trust him.

He retreated into the sanctuary of the attic's round tower room. Most of the children were afraid to go in the attic; it was dank and dark, not some place the average child would venture willingly. The tower had become Hiei's hideaway; no one could reach him there.

He settled himself on the window seat, tucking his knees up to his chest. It was time to do some serious thinking.

Normally, when some one intruded into the safe -yet bothersome- little world Hiei had crafted for himself, he paid them no mind. It wasn't unusual for people to be coming and going from the orphanage; the place seemed to thrive off volunteers. Hiei usually just chose to ignore the very fact that they existed, a solution which suited them all nicely. They stayed out of his way, he pretended they weren't there.

So why had the arrival of the red-headed Minamino Shuichi ruffled his feathers so badly?

There was something about this man that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He had pegged Shuichi at about twenty-one or twenty-two years of age, but he had some how seemed so much older. As if he had been around for a very long time. That was the feeling the boy had obtained every time the man looked at him. He knew it was silly -no one could transcend time itself- but he just couldn't shake that particular feeling.

And that unnerved him.

Hiei liked being in control. Especially of his own life. But this new presence in his life would make it most difficult. He had felt the control slipping the moment Shuichi had first approached him on the porch; so polite, so quick to apologize. Apology and courtesy were not commonplace in the teen's life and with the arrival of them, he had slipped slightly out of control. His grasp on his life was wavering; falling dangerously close to Shuichi's waiting fingers.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

Hiei's glare intensified. If it was possible, he would have shattered the window simply with his blood-red gaze. _He will only cause problems if I let him. I am stronger than this. I can deal with this new nuisance as well as I always have._

I'm up for a challenge.

* * *

"Minamino, do those lines again! Put more feeling into them."

It was so hard to concentrate.

Shuichi couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of that unfortunate, unloved boy from the orphanage from his mind. He couldn't seem to focus on anything except those red eyes, glaring at him from beneath furrowed brows, that look of utter contempt, trying to hide a certain wistful loneliness. That boy's face floated in front of his mind's eye, taunting, teasing, challenging.

And not going away anytime soon.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll try harder to capture the correct mood." _Welcome back to the real world, Shuichi._ The redhead glanced down at the script in his hands, trying to discern just what he was supposed to be feeling. He suddenly felt very foolish; his concern for that child would cost him the most important role of his life if he wasn't careful.

And for what? For an impertinent child who didn't even want him around. This much was obvious simply through the cold look in Hiei's eyes when Shuichi had attempted to speak to him. Really now; there was absolutely no point in getting concerned over the churlish young man at the orphanage when there were more important things to worry about.

"You had better try harder." The director snapped, "I took a big chance casting you in this role, a young actor with no prior leads. If you don't get on track, I'll cut you from the production so fast-"

"Can we just get back to work?" The female lead sighed dramatically, dragging a hand across her face, "I'm not getting any younger."

"I'm sorry." Shuichi apologized again, bowing slightly, pushing the thoughts of his afternoon's experience to the back of his mind, "I think I'm ready now."

"You'd better be." The woman groused, "I haven't got all day."

"All right, take it from the top."

"Yes sir."

* * *

This by far was not my best work. I beg forgiveness.


End file.
